Fulfilling its tradition, the Jornal do Fundão newspaper has published another Christmas Magazine. The following text is the contribution of the Aldeias do Xisto to this year’s edition.

Legend has it that there was a shoemaker whose hut was at a crossroads near a village. To light the way for travellers passing by, he lit a candle in his window every night. The outbreak of war led to the departure of all the young men, leaving the village sad and poor. On Christmas night, admiring the shoemaker’s constancy in keeping the candle lit every night, the other villagers did the same and lit up the whole hamlet. At midnight the bells rang out, announcing the end of the war and the return of the young men. Thus began the tradition of lighting a candle on Christmas Eve.

This is also the history of the Aldeias do Xisto. There are villages that persisted because someone kept the light on, even if it was only one house. People were still there, taking care of the fields, producing sustenance in accordance with the elements, having wisdom of the sky and earth, animals and plants, and preserving this knowledge for posterity. Lives clothed in a mixture of resistance, pride and love for what is ours. Meanwhile, those who resisted were joined by the visionaries, villages were rebuilt, businesses were set up, new pathways were explored, projects were realised, communities were renovated. Other candles were lit in those few that were still illumninated. The lights proliferated.

After two decades, the light is strong and the Aldeias do Xisto have affirmed themselves as a brand with a distinct identity, committed to the unique values of the area and its tourism offer. A path based on ancient foundations, but which brings together new players, thoughts and skills, generating challenges that attract demanding audiences and aware of the values they find here: authenticity, the purity of nature, communities with centuries-old traditions and a strong connection to the land and the surrounding environment, which is expressed in culture and landscape.

This is our message for this Christmas: it is always worth keeping the flame burning, however faintly. It is with our eyes on the future that we will continue to light candles, persisting in the spirit of cooperation when standing up for communities and their way of life, and during our time here devise alternative ways of living, creating and investing.

Our wish is that you have a very warm Christmas and a joyful New Year with those whom you love the most.